NPFL-All Star Tour Of Spanish La Liga: What's the Business Implication for LMC

League Management Company (LMC) plan to take Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) All Stars team on a tour of the Spanish La liga is a good gesture… well, depending on how you look at it.

It is part of the plan to strengthen the nascent relationship with one of the best football leagues in Europe… indeed, in the world - bilateral agreement that hope to bring about a mutual beneficial relationship between the leagues.

On face value, it looks like a total mismatch really… or what will a Spanish La liga benefit from a league like NPFL?

Wait a minute; remember Nigeria national team, The Red Devils tour of the UK in 1949? It was novelty as the team only returned back with basket full of goals… just the way I foresee NPFL-All Stars team going to be beaten black and blue by a team like Valencia CF or as they participate in Carranza La liga World Clubs tournament in Malaga CF.

The number of goals won’t matter really… what will matter most is the football lessons both LMC and the players will learn in the pre-season games… and how they can bring back their experience to Nigeria’s elite league.

Nigeria national team that toured the UK in 1949 brought back lots of experience, but something more significant happened… Nigeria’s best player then, Teslim ‘Thunder’ Balogun didn’t return with the team. He stayed back and eventually signed for FC Peterborough in 1950.

Of-course, such things are bound to happen as NPFL All Stars team play at the pre-season tournament… I’m sure both LMC and the players will have it at the back of their mind as they travel to Spain on August 8, 2016 – Anything Can Happen!

But what will be the implication… If LMC succeeds in selling about 60% of the players to La liga teams… that means more money. I mean ‘hard currency exchange’ … a good marketing trip and win-win situation for both LMC and their counterpart.

But then, it’s like shooting yourself on the foot… because the purpose of bringing back experience from such top league will be defeated. NPFL will be further depleted and weakened as most of it’s top stars would be transferred out of the league at once.

For the players it’s a great opportunity to take their football career to the next level and for LMC, it’s another opportunity to earn increased revenue. But for the growth of the league and the satisfaction of fans in Nigeria, the tour is another deserter about to happen this August Break.